Beijing has warned the U.S. over surveillance flights gathering information about increased militarization in the South China Sea. Does the U.S. have reason to worry?

70% of writers and pundits say yes see all 10 opinions below

What do you think?Should The Build Up Of Chinese Military Concern the U.S.?

Writers and pundits who say or about the topic, "Should The Build Up Of Chinese Military Concern the U.S.?"

last 24 hours | nationalinterestThe Real Danger in the South China Sea - The National Interest Online (blog)"...Any perception of Washington tightening the noose around China could further empower Chinese hawks. They are likely the original proponents of the reclamation projects and the strongest advocates for their militarized use and the imposition of restrictive rules to impede the mobility of the U.S. Navy. Already some in the Chinese military are making the case that the P-8A Poseidon fly-by warrants a Chinese air defense identification zone in the South China Sea.The advance of the Chinese hardliners would confirm a suspicion rapidly gaining currency in Washington that Beijing aims to not only challenge America's position as a regional security guarantor but also subvert norms and rules that lie at the foundation of today's world order. That conclusion would also encourage the rising voices in the U.S. calling for more robust treatment of China...." see full article

1015 days ago | foreignpolicyThe South China Sea Could Become a Dangerous Contest of Military Might - Foreign Policy (blog)"...Why should Washington invest its might and prestige in such a faraway dispute at all? The most immediate reason is that for now, the United States is the only country that has both the means and the self-assurance to do so. China's rival claimants, countries like the Philippines and even Vietnam, know that to confront Beijing so directly would invite defeat or humiliation. And this is exactly why proponents of American action regard it as an imperative.At bottom, the unfolding dispute between Beijing and Washington is about two tightly intertwined issues that will go further than most realize in determining the future of the international order. The first is how major powers should interpret maritime law and China and the United States take radically different positions on this, befitting their very different geographic circumstances...." see full article

1017 days ago | breitbartDon't Give Up the South China Sea - Breitbart News"...There is now a possibility that China may set up an air defense zone in the South China Sea as it did the year before in the East China Sea, which would mean that any aircraft passing through would have to get permission from the Chinese military. The United States has already begun testing China's limits over these aggressive territorial claims. A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon spy plane flying over the edge of Spratly Reefs was ordered to leave by the Chinese military, but the pilot ignored the order and flew on through. China and the Chinese military have never feared the devil or an evil force, and we are convinced by reason but not by hegemony, China's Admiral Sun said on Sunday according to the New York Times, Don't ever expect us to surrender to devious heresies or a mighty power. And don't ever expect us to swallow the bitter fruits that would harm our sovereignty, security and development interests. ..." see full article

"...China has reportedly started building up its military presence in the artificially created islands, in a region believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves.Several countries have laid claim to the islands, situated just north of Brunei, and the naval corridor is an important shipping route for Australian vessels.Labor has also raised concerns over mounting tension in the South China Sea and has urged the government to tread carefully...." see full article

1021 days ago | foreignpolicyRiding the Tiger of Anti-US Sentiment - Foreign Policy (blog)"...That means that if it's not careful, Beijing may be setting itself up for a difficult choice in the South China Sea risk conflict with the world's greatest military, or appear feeble, a cardinal sin among the country's nationalists. To be sure, the vocal and vociferous ranks of nationalist web commenters cannot be taken to represent Chinese sentiment writ large. But as everywhere else, the loudest voices are the likeliest to get noticed. The Chinese government should clearly tell America not to poke and pry in South China Sea affairs, wrote one Weibo user in Beijing on May 28. China doesn't fear war it only fears being weak. ..." see full article

1021 days ago | home.btUS slams Beijing on South China Sea - BT.com"...Defence officials described the weapons as self-propelled artillery vehicles and said they posed no threat to the US or American territories.While Mr Carter did not refer directly to the weapons in his speech, he told the audience that now is the time for a diplomatic solution to the territorial disputes because "we all know there is no military solution"...." see full article

1023 days ago | nationalinterestThe Shocking Reason America Can't Stop China in the South China Sea - The National Interest Online (blog)"...I see a similar conundrum in the South China Sea. China regards the area as a primary strategic interest and is prepared to face international opprobrium for its actions there and is getting a pretty good outcome. Again, it's not clear to me how American power can be applied to the problem in a way that's proportional to American interests there, without taking risks that outweigh the potential gains. The right strategy is yet to be found.The Ukraine and South China Sea both show that even the most powerful states are vulnerable to tactics that chipped away at the periphery of their interests. The interests of Russia and China are more deeply engaged in those regions than America's, and they have enough power of their own to raise the stakes for the U.S. to the point where the downside risks outweigh the potential benefits...." see full article

1023 days ago | economistTry not to blink - The Economist"...Despite America's increasingly public complaints, there has been no change in the frantic pace of China's reclamation efforts on several reefs (pictured is an American spyplane's photograph of work on Fiery Cross Reef). On May 26th China's defence ministry released a white paper on military strategy. It said the country should build a modern maritime military force to protect China's maritime rights and interests , including in the South China Sea. Ash Carter, America's defence secretary, said a day later that China's actions in the area showed it was out of step with international norms that underscore the Asia-Pacific's security architecture .America and China's neighbours worry that China may eventually declare an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea requiring aircraft to identify themselves to the Chinese authorities before entering. In November 2013 China alarmed the region by establishing an ADIZ over the East China Sea, covering islands claimed by Japan (see map). It said its armed forces had the right to take defensive emergency measures against those failing to comply. America quickly sent two unarmed B-52 bombers through the zone without notifying China. Some Chinese experts believe that China is unlikely to declare an ADIZ in the South China Sea soon because it would be even harder to enforce over such a vast area. On May 26th, however, a Chinese foreign ministry official said his country would decide whether to establish one partly on the basis of whether and to what extent the security of airspace is threatened a clear warning to America...." see full article

1023 days ago | wswsOfficials signal Australia will join US provocation in South China Sea - World Socialist Web Site"...Such is the integration of the Australian armed forces with the US Pacific Command since the US pivot to Asia was announced in 2011 that dozens of Australian military personnel are embedded at any given time with American air force, navy, marine and army units throughout the region.Even more critical for US military operations across the Indo-Pacific are the satellite and communications bases on Australian territory. The key control and command base at Pine Gap in central Australia provides targeting information for everything from US aircraft and drones, Aegis destroyers and other missile defence systems through to submarine-launched nuclear missiles...." see full article

1025 days ago | isn.ethWhy is China Militarising the South China Sea? - ISN"...The US is now clearly treating China as a major threat: it has transferred some older naval and coast guard vessels to ASEAN navies, and the commander of the US Navy Seventh Fleet has expressed support for US-ASEAN joint naval patrol operations in the South China Sea. Likewise, although the ASEAN countries have welcomed Xi Jinping's Maritime Silk Road initiative, their navies are lobbying for funds to upgrade their dilapidated naval bases, and to acquire advanced platforms and weapons from foreign suppliers.The South China Sea disputes are unnecessarily complicating China's own progress: surely China's peaceful rise should contribute to the common destiny of East Asia. On a more positive note, the PLAN is starting to develop a conceptual understanding of modern naval warfare and to incorporate this into its strategic approach. This militarisation of the South China Sea is a fruitless distraction: China will only become a true maritime power by making further adjustments to outdated mindsets, both within the PLAN and also in the wider political leadership...." see full article

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